View images from the week 17 matchup at TCF Bank Stadium between the Vikings and Bears.
MINNEAPOLIS — Vikings rookie Teddy Bridgewater capped his franchise-record 12th start by a rookie quarterback in the victory formation.
Minnesota used a couple of timely plays and a stout red zone defense for a 13-9 victory to end the 2014 regular season.
Bridgewater finished 6-6 as a starter, completing 17 of 25 passes for 209 yards and a touchdown, but one of his most important plays of the game came on a tackle of Corey Fuller after an interception early in the second half to prevent a touchdown.
The Vikings responded to the fourth interception by Fuller of the season on the second play of the second half with tough defense and a pair of explosive plays on offense. The return was initially ruled a touchdown, but reversed on video review, and Chicago took possession at the Minnesota 9.
Minnesota's defense held Chicago to a 2-yard gain and pair of incompletions to force a 25-yard field goal by Jay Feely that gave the Bears a 6-3 lead, their first of the game, less than two minutes into the second half.
Bridgewater and the offense recovered on the following possession that started with runs of 6, 7 and 1 by Matt Asiata and continued with a 22-yard pass to Adam Thielen to convert a third-and-9. Thielen streaked behind defenders on the following play, and Bridgewater found him for a 44-yard touchdown, a career long and first scoring catch of the Minnesota native's career.
The Vikings were able to grind off several minutes in the fourth quarter and stop the Bears when Andrew Sendejo tackled Martellus Bennett short of the mark on a fourth-down play.
The Vikings scored on their opening possession, taking a 3-0 lead on a 37-yard field goal by Blair Walsh with 4:59 left in the first quarter. The kick was the 13th play of a 61-yard drive that lasted 5:25.
The drive included 18-yard completion from Teddy Bridgewater to Charles Johnson, a season-long 19-yard run by Matt Asiata, a 15-yard scramble by Bridgewater and an 11-yard pass to Jarius Wright that converted third-and-10 two plays after a near touchdown to Greg Jennings that was initially ruled a score but reversed after video review.
The Bears tied the game with 55 seconds left in the first half on a 48-yard field goal by Feely.
